(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for providing communication quality information.
(b) Description of the Related Art
An Internet map service is a map service that can use in a Web browser that is installed in a portable terminal device such as a personal computer or a laptop computer and a mobile phone. The Internet map service provides local company information as well as a company position, a phone number, and a driving path according to a position.
A typical Google map service provides free of charge distance and area information that collects from all over the world through almost real-time update through a Google Website and provides an actual space view at various locations by connecting with an ‘aviation view’ function. However, a Google map service or other geographic information systems (GIS)-based map service does not provide communication quality related information such as solution of a weak communication area and distribution of a communication amount load of a network, and selection of a connection network according to a service.
In general, a wireless communication service is mainly provided by an Internet service provider (ISP), and in a home or a small scale of corporation, an Internet service is used using an Internet wired/wireless sharing router due to increase in use of wireless Internet. A wireless local area network (LAN) has algorithm that searches for and serves a channel having a smallest use amount within a band, a speed of a wireless Internet service is deteriorated due to frequency interference and a distance difference from an access point (AP).
In methods of providing a wireless Internet service, a wireless communication connection program that is provided by an ISP provides channel information and signal intensity information of all equipments existing within a wireless LAN reception range as well as a wireless LAN equipment that is directly provided by the ISP. However, the wireless communication connection program notifies only an equipment existing within a range of a location at which a user is positioned and does not provides information that guarantees mobility and information about other communication methods.
Further, a zone notification service such as a ‘Wi-Fi Zone’, which is a Web scheme in which an ISP provides displays a wireless communication service area that is installed by the ISP in a map or a list, whereby a service area is displayed but is not provided in real-time and only an equipment in which the ISP provides is displayed in a map or a list.
Further, a connection program that is provided by a network interface card (NIC) provider provides channel information and signal intensity information of all equipments existing within a wireless LAN reception range, but notifies only an equipment existing within a range of a location at which a user is presently positioned and does not provide information that guarantees mobility and compatibility about other communication methods.
That is, because the user cannot determine information about areas other than a location at which the user is presently positioned or communication quality related information about other communication methods, it is difficult for the user to receive a service in an optimum communication quality state.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.